Process of making methyl alcohol



' 45 pro ortion of steam used,

Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

I UNITED STATES STEPHEN r. BURKE, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

' YORK, N. Y.

ASSIGNOR T RALrE n. MOKEE, on NEW PROCESS OF MAKING METHYL ALCOHOL. I

' No Drawing.

. This invention relates to the manufacture of methyl alcohol, and comprises a simple and effective process whereby methyl ether, for which there exists, at present only a very limited commercial demand, may e transformed into methyl alcohol, for which there is an active'present and'prospective demand. While my process'is of course applicable'to tre conversion of methyl ether from what- 1 ever source, I will descr be it in its application to the treatment if methyl ether or gaseous mixtures containing the same, prepared by the hydrolytic decompositlon of methyl chlorid, as more fully disclosed in. a copending application of Ralph McKee filed concurrently herewith;

In said application it is pointed out that methyl chlorid, or mixtures'containing the same, subjected in conjunction with steam and at; a sufiicient temperature of the-order of 350-375 G. to the hydrol tic action of such hydroxide as those of ca cium, barium magnesium and aluminium, yields methyl alcohol and methyl ether in relative 'proportions varying according to the conditions employed. The methyl alcohol, with some methyl ether may be recovered from the resulting gas mixture by scrubbing with water, 'andthe bulk-of the methyl ether may then be absorbed in heavy oil, rom which it may be expelled by moderate heating. According to the present invention I mix with meth l ether, prepared as above or by other method, or with gases containing of steam; and I bring the resu .at an elevated tem erature, preferably approximately 3503 5 (1, into contact with aluminum oxid, or other refractory oxid' or as methyl ether, a relatively large proportion ting mixture.

. 40 oxids of equivalent effect, contained in atube or other convenient reactor presenting interior walls of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Under these conditions a roportion of the methyl ether, depending largely upon the rect y and without ap reciable formation of by-products, into met yl alcohol. This latter may be scrubbed out of the scooled're'action mlxture by means'of water, and the re- 6 sidual methyl etherreturned for re-workin cyclical flow.

several volumes, and advantageously 8-10 volumes of steam with each volume of clays, may

is converted d'i-- have found it desirable in practice to use Application filed. September '3, 1922. Serial Nt -586,782.

methyl ether, under which last mentioned conditions about 50 percent of the methyl ether is converted to methyl alcohol at each passage through the reactor. Higher relative proportions of steam efi'ect a larger conversion at each cycle, but the o erating cost is increased. With substantial y lower. percentages of steam, the yield of the alcohol at each passage through the reactor is lessened, but a 30 percent convension is' obtainable with 3-4 volumes of steam, My invention therefore is not restricted to the use, of steam in any specific. proportions to the ether, although as above omtedout, relatively large roportions o steam are practically desirable.

Nor is my invention limited to the use of j the specific temperatures mentioned, altho I regard these as most advantageous, having re arid to the activity, regularityand genera controllability of the'reaction.

' Sofar as I am aware'the abovedescribed direct'conversion of an ether to an alcohol by hydrolysis with steam i broadly new; but itis not applicable to al 'ethers, at least under the same conditions. For example, ethyl etherunder similar conditions yields little or no alcohol, although some ethylene is formed. l

While aluminum oxid is the most eflicient agent of which I am aware for effecting this conversion, my invention is not limited to its use,'since other refractory oxids, notably other oxids of the aluminum group, or mixtures or compounds of such oxids, such as erhaps be successfully used. uminum oxid as used in the claims is.to beregarded therefore as em bracing the. equivalents of this oxid for this reaction.

I claim: 95

1. Process of making methyl alcohol comprising effecting the direct hydrolysis of the correspondin ether, by the agency of steam, at an elevate temperature in the neighborhood of ,350-375 0., and in presence of a hydrolyzing a ent having the essential properties of a uminum oxid.

2. Process. accordin to claim 1, in which the methyl ether-is admixed with approximately 8-10 volumes of steam. m5

, 3. In a. process of making methyl alcohol The term .a

the steps comprising commin ling methy ether with several volumes 0 steam, and

2 weenie contacting the mixture at an elevated temtial properties of aluminum oxid, thereby w perature in the neighborhood of 350-37 5 converting a portion of the ether into alco- C. with aluminum oxid. ho]; absorbing the alcohol; and returning 4. A cyclical process of making methyl the residual ether to the operating cycle to 5 alcohol, comprising c-ommin ling methyl eiiect further conversion thereof.

ether with several volumes 0% steam; con- In testimony whereof, I a-flix my signa- 15 tacting the mixture at an elevated temperature. ture in the neighborhood of 350375 C.

\ with ahydrolyzing agent having the essen- STEPHEN P. BURKE. 

